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About Our Association

Get To Know Us

The American Chuck Wagon Association started out as a small group of Old West enthusiasts and has expanded to world wide association preserving the American past through competitions, demonstrations, charity and school events and other venues.

Check out our Facebook Page

Our work is funded by sponsorships, tax-free donations, honorariums and memorials; (We are a 501.c.3 organization); cap sales in our General Store (go shopping); as well as membership dues. For donations, honorariums and memorials, you may send a check or money order to:
ACWA, P.O. Box 626, Belton, TX 76513. For Honorariums and Memorials, please include the name of the person remembered/honored, and an address for a thank you card.

Youth & the ACWA

ACWA knows our future lies in our youth and we support them by offering scholarships, helping with youth cook offs, demonstrations and other educational activities at cook offs, schools and other events. Check out the YOUTH page for more information.

ACWA Scholarships

Each year ACWA awards scholarships (read more) to individuals for up to $1000/year. You can download the application and instructions here. Applications and all supporting documents must be completed and postmarked no later than February 28, each year.

Scholarship recipients for the 2023-2024 school year are Levi Reinhardt from Eaton, Colorado and Trista Bowen from Amarillo, Texas.

Youth Cook Offs

For more information about youth cook offs, see our page. If your organization would like to request up to $150 and other ACWA supplies for a youth cook off, download the form and submit to

Brian Frankum
via email at wishbonewagon@yahoo.com
or
via mail to PO Box 85, Axtell, TX 76624

Education

The American Chuck Wagon Association is always looking at ways to involve and educate our youth. Another way many involve the youth are through chuck wagon demonstrations. If you or your organization have hosted a chuck wagon demonstration, please send the information on your event along with any pictures to acwa@chuckwagon.org so we can post it onto our ACWA Facebook as well as feature your event in the next edition of the ACWA Monthly Update or ACWA quarterly newsletter, Under the Fly.

Expansion

Currently ACWA has limited funding for these activities but through your generosity we want to expand our funding of scholarships, youth cook offs and other events! Please consider giving donation or memorial (specify on your gift YOUTH) so we can continue and even expand ACWA's involvement.

General Store

ACWA provides quality merchandise so check it out! Whether you are wanting to cook up some authentic chuck wagon meals or show off your support of ACWA through the purchase of a cap or apron...we have something for everyone! Click here to check out what we have!

Chuck Wagon Catering

Many of our members offer catering services. Check out the link above to contact one of them about bringing some of the finest chuck wagon cooking to your next event.

 

ACWA News & Events

For upcoming events, click on the EVENTS tab.

July 2023, President's Message

July marks the end of the first months of the year and beginning of the last months of the year. July represents vacations, harvest, ball games, reunions, fairs, and all other kinds of summer activities. Typically, chuck wagon cooking slows down because of the hot temperatures which gives us a mid-year break to repair, refurbish, and re-group for upcoming fall activities. July for me means cutting hay, spraying weeds, fixing fences -- and this year, hauling water for livestock. It is a busy, busy time of the year!

ACWA has a Board of Directors made up of 9 volunteers dedicated to taking care of everything necessary to run the association. ACWA also has several Standing Committees that work with the Board of Directors to enhance the association and activities. One of the Standing Committees is the Scholarship, Education and Youth Cook Off Committee. I would like to acknowledge the work of this Committee. The Committee was formed in 2008 and one of the tasks of the Committee is to solicitate scholarship applications from graduating seniors and current college students with family connections [through membership] to ACWA. The Committee reviews and verifies information for scholarship applications as they undergo the process of narrowing down the number of applications. The goal is to award 1 or 2 of the $1,000 scholarships per year. Since 2008, ACWA has awarded 68 scholarships. It takes a great deal of time and dedication each year. Brian Frankum has been in charge of the Committee since 2014. Brian and the Committee work tirelessly to improve the scholarship application process and get as many youth and families involved as possible. If you get the opportunity, please tell the Committee members how much we appreciate their hard work.

One of the activities of the Scholarship Committee is raising money for scholarships. This activity involves all members of the ACWA as we strive to award scholarships each year. Memorial donations to the Scholarship Fund are always a great way to honor people. But the Scholarship Auction at the ACWA Annual Meeting in November is another great way to raise money. Items for the Scholarship Auction are donated by ACWA members for a silent auction in addition to a live auction. Let us be honest -- the auction is more fun than should be allowed at any event. ACWA members "dig" through their treasures and donate cooking items, gently used clothing, original art items, antiques, and awesome vintage items. Items donated include cook books, lanterns, bean pots, wooden spoons & utensils, handmade quilts, wagon seats, blacksmith items, and much more. I encourage -- actually, challenge -- you to start thinking about the items you could donate to the Scholarship Fund auctions. Let us see what we can place on the auction block to not only raise money for the Scholarship Fund but for the enjoyment of everyone attending and bidding. There is a Dutch oven that I am tired of tripping over in the barn . . . . .

John Conway
2023 ACWA President